Torpedo.



J'. TASTO.

TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1o, 1909.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

mi Si l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

witnesses Clt JOEANN TASTO, F TREE-TIMOR, IOVA.

TRPEDO.

Simili.

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Nov. 23, i909..

Application filed June 1Q, 1909. Serial No. 501,422.

To all whom may concern.:

Be it known that l, JOHANN TASTO, a'subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing' at Treynor in 'the county of lottewattamie and State. oi"- lowu, have invented certain new and nee-ful lzupi'oveinei'its in Torpedoes, or which the fcllowr i; is n specilication.

This invention pertains to the art of naval I warfare, and relates particularly to what are end o und 6 lrc detail perspcctiree of parte tire operating; mechanism hereinafred.

'llliro iout t-iic ollowingr detuil descrip- V1 `tion andl on tbe eerefal figures of the drawing' similar pa are referred to by like referz-xnce characters.

is indicated in Fig. l a. torpedo l() is presumed to be despatched from a'wur vessel ll, or possibly from a shore fortification, and the saine is being directed toward :1n eiiei'irv`e .eescl indicated di:'o'rannuatically at l2. The-torpedo l0 is designed to be operated just beneath tbe Surface of the water. but is prmided with light standards i3 and lll which project above the surface of the The standard l? adjacent t-o the front end ol the torpedo ini-1de higher than the other so that both of tlie lights would always be vieible from the deepeteliing vessel, and the lights are preferably of different colors` suoli as red and green or vred und white, whereby the oliicers despatching the torpedo may the more readily control its operations.

In devices of this char eter it. is customary for the torpedo to be equipped with Selil propelling; mechanism and for i. also t-o be provided with steeringr devices, and for the propelling' and .steerino devices to be con-- trolled from the despafcbiug Vessel by means of o series of electric wires extendingr between the despatcliing vessel and the torpedo in the forni of a cable which pays out in accordance. Withtlie travel of the torpedo.

The cable 15 may be buoyed up by ii series of floats if found necessary.

The torpedo is provided with an explosive 17 in its forward end adapted to be exploded when the point or end 18 of the torpedo strikes the obstaclel or enemy. At any convenient place, preferably near its rear end is shown o motor 19 for the purpose of driving the propeller screw 20. The operation of the motor will be controlled through the wire 21 in-any convenient and WelL known manner, auch devices, per s@ not constituting the present invention.

The casing 22 'of the torpedo is subsite tially cylindricel in forni and is provided on its bottoni with a keel 23, of lead or Sonie other lie-.ivy material so to maintain tile device righted and at the proper elevation with respect to the surface of the water. At; its rear end the freine work of the casino;

is extended to form supports for the rudder.

and steering mechanism. The extension is in the forni of a hollow chamber above the screw propeller 20, which chamber 2l in! closes the principal parte of the steering .mechanism in a water-tigl1t position. The extension 25 extends rearwardly from the keel. The rudder 26 is connected to a. vertictil shalt 2, iournaledin and through the easing 24 at its upper end and 1n a step beernio; in the extension 25 atite lower end.-

Connected to the shaft 27 Within the chainber 24 is a gear or segment QSedapted to be operated slowly by a series of gears 29, 30, 3l, and 3Q', the member 32 be in;r n. worm Wheel. adapted to be rotated in either Ioi" two directions by ineens of a worin mounted on a horizontal shaft, jiournaled in bearings connected. to the inner woll of the torpedo casing' 22. 'llic shaft 3ft is provided willi a bolti pulley 36 round which operates a drive belt 87. The. worin serves not only as n means for drivingv the steering' mechanism in either direction butJ alec serves as positive lock preventingl lat-- eral swinging of the rudder wliile the Worin stationary.

The 'torpedo is equipped preferably inidway between the explosion chamber and ibc driving motor with independent motore and 39. These motors may-be operated from any suitable source of power. the motor 3S being controllable by wrce ll() andthe other motor by wires 4l, all of said wires being; included in thc cable l5 above mentioned.

pinione and 2o y the shaft 42' and veach of saidrlatter pulleys The purpose of the motors v38 and r39 is to y Y the most satisfactory manner there islprofl vided av shaft 42, preferably vertically posii.

control the operation ofthe steering mechanism, especially to drive the same 1n one direction or the other or when the motors are stopped the rudder will be held stationary. In order to accomplish the above result in tioned in bearings 43 and 44 secured in the top and bottom of the interior of the casing. The shaft 42 -furthermore is journaled and braced for rotation in supports 45 and 46, mounted rigidly and stationarily transversely of the casing 22. The shaft 42 is provided near its upper end with a belt pulley 47 over which Athe belt 37 operates, and is'also provided with toothed hubs 48 and 49, the teeth of said hubs extending inV opposite directions.

, A pair@ of pulleys 50 and 51,.'slidably and looselylmounted upon surface of the pulleys and have s iral dis? position with respect tothe sha t 42, the teeth 'of one pulley extending in a direction opposite .from those of the other pulley.

Thel supports 45 and 46carry stationary.

' blocks 56 and 57 (provided with spiral holes or sockets 56 an 57 complemental to the several sets of teeth 50*L and 51,

The blocks may also 'be provided adjacent to, the.

margins ofthe socketsl with upwardly pro jecting lugs 58 inl order to insure proper operation of engagement of the teeth with the sockets if found necessary.

Assuming that the 'motor 38 is operated and the motor 39 is dead the belt 54 and pulley 50 will be in the direction indicated by thearrow a, and this operation of the pulley 50 will `o crate the steering mechanism in a certain irection for guidance of the torpedo ac cordingl'y.v At'this time the teeth 52 will be in engagement with the teeth of the hub 48, 'and such` engagement will be maintained either by such engagement or by virtue of the spring teeth 50*1 riding idly upon the u per surface of the block 56. The rotation o the shaft 42 and the hub 49 in such instance willcause the oints of the spring teeth 51av to enter the soc ets 57 of the block 57 and by virtue of the form and disposition of saidV s ring teeth 5la the pulley 51 will be drawn ownwardly disconnecting its. teeth k53 from the hub 49. The motor'39 `beingldeadwill permita slight reverse rota- '45l tionen erde? to accomplish the above result.'v

in engagement with the block 57 so long as-l l the motor 38is in operation. If it be de-` sired to reverse the steering mechanism the motor 38 will b e stopped and t-he motor 39 started. The belt will then be'operated in the direction indicated vby the arrow b 'causing the pulley 5l to be withdrawn from the block 57 and into engagement with the hub 49, reversing the direction'o'f-the shaft Thepulley 51 will be'maintain'ed therefore 'I 42. The elfect of suchreversal upon the y pulley 50 will be thevsame as above described y in connection with the pulley 51 while the motor 38 was in operation.

The devicejust described for controlling the steering mechanism is of eculiar-advantage because of its simplicity and certaintyof operation, matters of vast importance in devices of the nature of this invention. The lamps 13 and 14 are preferably .lighted from batteries 13a and 14a, located at any convenient place within the casing22' land having ordinary electrical connections therewith. lThe motors 38 and 39 are independently operated kor controlled through their wires 40 and 41, respectively, extending along or within the cable l5 to the place or vessel from which the torpedo has been despatched. The motivev circuit through either pair of wires is made or broken by means of a button or switch of a construction well understood in the art and which it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a self-propelled torpedo, the com bination with Ithe casing, of propelling-mechanism therefor including. a motor and a screw, the motor being within the casing, and a portion of'the 'casing-being extended rearwardly forming a chamber over the? screw, a rudder shaft extending into and j ournaled in said chamber, a rudder mounted on said shaft, a vtrainA 'of gears within said chamber to operate saidrudder shaft, independently operated motors within the casing to operate said rudder through said train of gears in either of tw directions, and electrical connections tosaid motors.

2. In a self-propelled torpedo, the combination of a casing having rearward extensions, a rudder journaled in said extensions,` a airof independently controllable motors within the casing, a shaft, gearing connectin the shaft with lthe rudder, a pair of loose leys mounted on said shaft, said pulleysv vu ,being adaptedtc be operated from the rerotate said shaft when driven-by its motor,

and means whereby such operation of the lili) shaftA will render the opposite pulley y'infn` operative. l y v 4 .4

3. In'l a lself-propelledtorpedo, the come( bination, ofc. casing, arudder connected to',y

.iso

,tionsbetween said shaft and the rudder, said 'connections including a worm and worm wheel, a pair of stationary supports mounted the casingga pair of independently com` teeth to coperate with thev respective staf trollable, motors within the casing, a verticall tionary bloks, driving connections between power shaft journaled in the casing, connee-` the several motors and said loose pulleys,

substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two lwgitnesses.

JOHANN TASTO..

in said casing, a pair -of blocks having spirally arranged sockets, those-ef one block being directed oppositely from' those in the other block, a pair of` ulle'ys loosely and slidablymounted on` sais lshaft and having Witnesses DICK SCHROEDER, FRED KASTEN s. 

